Local Children's Partnership Group priorities

All children and young people experience healthy relationships

• Families are supported to develop skills to resolve harmful conflicts between family members (adults or children) without resorting to any form of violence (verbal or physical).
• Children and young people understand healthy peer relationships and feel able to respond in the right way to bullying and peer pressure, both online and offline.

Children and young people are supported to learn, work and achieve

• Parents and carers feel supported in understanding and meeting developmental needs of their children, especially for early years (0 to 5), teen years (10 to 16), young carers and those who have special educational needs and disabilities, so they can learn, work and achieve.
• Children and young people who are struggling to engage with learning or working (risk of or not in education, employment or training (NEET)) are identified and supported early so they are able to achieve their potential.
• Appropriate and accessible opportunities, aligned to the local sector needs, are available for those who are NEET.

Building strong families

• Vulnerable parents and carers are supported to strengthen their resilience and local networks, so they feel more able to manage their homes, day-to-day family life and to problem solve.
• Families who are accessing food banks or pantries are supported to move to a position where they independently have reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable and nutritious food.
• Vulnerable families are supported to manage home conditions so there is no risk to the health, wellbeing and safety of any family members, or of them losing their home.

Raise aspirations

• Children and young people, especially those at risk of exploitation, offending, going missing, not in education, employment or training (NEET) or persistent school absence or exclusion, are supported by partners to meet their aspirations.
• Children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), achieve successful transitions, improve their educational engagement, access education appropriately and thrive in their learning and development.
• Young people have access to comprehensive youth provision and activities which are educational, challenging and fun and recognise the importance of face-to-face delivery to build relationships.
• Young people are consulted, supported and their voices are heard.

Improve emotional health and wellbeing

• Children, young people and parents and carers, including those from minority groups, are equipped with skills and behaviours to build secure attachments and become more emotionally resilient.
• Partners and families are made aware of, and have access to, relevant services and community support.
• Families, children and young people, (including those with SEND) have information on relevant services and resources are shared with them.
• Parents and carers are aware of the impact that parental conflict can have on children and young people in their home.

Support child victims of domestic abuse

• Children and young people experiencing domestic abuse receive timely, effective safeguarding responses by partners, where children will have their voices heard and acted upon to keep them safe from harm.
• Children and young people, (including those with SEND) who are exposed to domestic abuse are supported to build their resilience, and emotional safety, by partners who recognise the importance of the lived experience of the child and young person.

Overcome social isolation and poverty

• Families affected by social isolation, poverty, and food poverty, are equipped with the necessary skills and resources to enable them to improve their circumstances.
• Families are supported to overcome barriers and challenges, to enable them to access services.

Promoting emotional health and wellbeing of children, young people and parents

• Equip children, young people and parents with the skills, tools and behaviours to become more resilient, overcome anxiety and isolation and are better able to deal with life events
• Families feel better able to manage through the cost-of-living pressures
• Families are in receipt of all eligible benefit and grant entitlements and wider household support schemes, such as Kent County Council's Digital Hardware scheme.
• Families are subscribed to the most cost-effective utilities and other subscription schemes, and that families have the skills and knowledge to do this on an ongoing basis themselves.
• Young people are able to access meals and barriers to free school meals are removed.

Children and young people, and their families feel happy, safe, and supported while they learn and grow

Children and young people with SEND, or those on the pathway to receiving a diagnosis, are supported to achieve and have improved outcomes, and have a current and robust plan in place to remain in mainstream education or a clear and robust plan exists to support them back in to mainstream education.

All children and young people experience healthy relationships

• Families are supported to develop skills to resolve harmful conflicts between family members (adults or children) without resorting to any form of violence (verbal or physical).
• Children and young people know how to be good friends, have healthy relationships, respect individual difference, and feel confident in dealing with bullying and peer pressure, both online and offline, including in school, in the community and on public transport.

Building strong families

• Families have opportunities to be active and take steps towards healthier lifestyles.
• Parents and carers feel supported in understanding and meeting developmental needs of their children, especially for early years (0 to 5), teen years (10 to 19), and those who have vulnerabilities.
• Families using food banks or pantries are supported to move to a position where they independently have reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable and nutritious food.

Vulnerable children and young people achieve their potential

• Year 6 students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their parents or carers, receive good support for a successful transition to mainstream secondary school.
• Children and young people with vulnerabilities or SEND are given opportunities to have their voice heard and to socialise in their communities.
• Children and young people with vulnerabilities or SEND are supported to develop decision making skills that prevent them from getting into trouble with the police.
• Post-16 vulnerable learners have access to more flexible, learning, work experience and volunteering opportunities.

Children and young people are supported to develop well so they can positively engage in learning

• Parents and carers are supported to understand and meet the developmental needs of their pre-school or primary aged children with, or suspected of having communication, speech and language, problem solving, school readiness, and personal social and emotional development needs.
• Vulnerable parents and carers and their pre and primary school aged children have access to role models to support the children’s personal, social and emotional development.
• Secondary school aged children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, and their parents or carers, are supported to overcome barriers to good school attendance.

Building strong families

• Vulnerable parents and carers are supported to strengthen their resilience and local networks, so they feel more able to manage their homes, day-to-day family life and to problem solve.
• Families using food banks or pantries are supported to move to a position where they independently have reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable and nutritious food.
• Post-16 vulnerable learners have access to more flexible, learning, work experience and volunteering opportunities.

Children and young people feel safe

Children and young people, especially those who are vulnerable or are from minority groups:

• are able to manage fears and anxieties, which interfere with their ability to participate in or enjoy everyday life and learning.
• have opportunities to socialise, are able to get along with others, respect individual difference, recover quickly from relationship difficulties, and have the ability to recognise and respond in the right way bullying or peer pressure, both online and offline.
• know how and where to reach out for help, when it is needed.

Increasing adolescent protective factors to improve health outcomes

• Young people have access to and are informed about health-related matters, including sexual health.
• Young people know about dangers associated with substance misuse, taking drugs, alcohol consumption.

Young people are ready to live independently

Vulnerable young people have the practical skills and knowledge to live independently, such as cooking, managing money and living on a budget.

Promoting emotional health and wellbeing

Equip children, young people and families with the skills, tools and behaviours, to become more resilient, overcome anxiety, isolation, for improved mental health and are better able to deal with life events.

Ensure young children thrive and are ready for school

Support young children to achieve developmental milestones and create opportunities for them to play and socialise to develop their language and communication skills.

Community

Children and young people to grow in safe families and communities, free from exposure to adverse childhood experiences, domestic abuse, anti-social behaviour, parental or community conflict, with better access to educational, social and developmental opportunities.

Resilience and empowerment

Support children and young people to become empowered and resilient through developing core life skills and removing barriers to educational achievement and improving awareness of issues such as child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation and risk-taking behaviours.

Family

Improved support for parents that enhances:

• parental engagement, emotional wellbeing and resilience
• access to services such as employment opportunities
• parental understanding of child and adolescent development
• parent’s ability to manage children’s behaviour and nurture their development

Improved financial stability for families

Families are supported to deal with financial pressures, debt and cost-of-living crisis through appropriate advice and guidance, so they are better able to meet the basic needs of children and young people.

Mental health of children and young people

Enhanced focus on providing families with creative strategies and tools to empower them to manage challenging behaviours and situations and improve their emotional health and wellbeing.

Pre and post diagnosis SEND support

To improve educational, health and emotional wellbeing outcomes of children and young people with SEN/AEN through supporting them to access inclusive and holistic services and by providing positive activities that enhance their resilience and that of their families at both pre and post diagnosis.

Domestic abuse

To support children and young people who have been exposed to domestic abuse to grow up in safer communities and develop understanding of healthy relationships and work effectively with victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse.

Raising aspiration, educational attainment and access to employment opportunities

Support young people, who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), or persistently school absent, to overcome barriers and improve access to post-16 training and education opportunities.

Improved financial stability for families

Families are supported to deal with financial pressures, debt and cost-of-living crisis so they are better able to meet the basic needs of their children and young people.

Children and young people achieve and thrive at school

Deliver initiatives and approaches that focus on tackling barriers to good school attendance and actively support positive transition.

Providing opportunities to achieve and raise aspirations of young people, as they prepare for work or return to mainstream education

• Deliver initiatives that support young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) to overcome barriers and access appropriate opportunities to enable them to realise their potential and aspirations.
• Focus on support for older adolescents with special educational needs and disabilities, with education health care plans, move on to further education or training.
• Provide adolescents with practical skills including budgeting and to live independently.

Improved outcomes for children under 5

• Support children under 5 to meet development milestones including good levels of communication, language and social interaction, and that physical and emotional health needs are met.

Equip children, young people and parents with the skills and behaviours to become more resilient and improve emotional wellbeing

• Deliver initiatives to build secure attachments and good support networks, enabling children and young people to be socially active within their school and community.
• With focus on support to overcome anxiety, school induced anxiety, bullying and the impact of domestic abuse.

Raise aspirations

• Children and young people, especially those who are at risk of exploitation, offending, going missing, not in education, employment or training (NEET), or persistent school absence or exclusion, are supported by partners to meet their aspirations.
• Children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), who are experiencing anxiety related to educational engagement receive support for themselves and their parent or carers.
• Young people have access to comprehensive youth provision and activities which are educational, challenging and fun and recognise the importance of face-to-face delivery to build relationships.
• The voice of young people is heard through active participation, and empowerment, and programmes designed to meet their needs.

Improve emotional wellbeing

• Children, young people and parents or carers, including those from minority groups, are equipped with the skills and behaviours to become more emotionally resilient and improve their wellbeing.
• Partners and families are made aware of, and have access to, relevant services and community support.
• Families, children and young people, (including those with SEND) have information on relevant services and resources are shared with them.
• Families affected by social isolation, poverty, and food poverty, are equipped with the necessary skills and resources to enable them to improve their circumstances.

Support child victims of domestic abuse

• Children and young people experiencing domestic abuse receive timely, effective safeguarding supported by partners.
• Children and young people, (including those with SEND) who are exposed to domestic abuse are supported to build their resilience, and emotional safety, by partners who recognise the importance of the lived experience of the child and young person.
• Families can access safe spaces outside of the family home.

Secure parenting

• Parents and carers are supported to develop secure attachments and confidence in their relationships with their children, including understanding and addressing the impact of trauma.
• Parents and carers have the knowledge and resources to fully support their child or young person to reach their full potential including understanding of child and adolescent development.

Readiness to learn

• Parents and carers are supported during pre-birth and early years to develop a shared understanding of “readiness to learn” and overcome relevant barriers.
• Children and young people achieve successful transitions (in settings and at home), access learning, and thrive in their development and future opportunities.

Improving educational attainment in early years and education settings

Support children and young people to overcome barriers to educational achievement and development in the early years (with a particular focus on the 2 to 5 age group) and school settings (including those that are elective home educated, are on part time timetable or at risk of being not in education, employment or training (NEET)), through improving their emotional health and wellbeing.

Children, young people and families achieve their full potential

Children and young people are given opportunities to develop core life skills and have better outcomes by providing positive activities and enhancing their emotional wellbeing and resilience and that of their families (including single and young parents).

Improved financial stability for families

Families are supported to deal with financial pressures, debt and cost-of-living crisis so they are better able to meet the basic needs of their children and young people.

Adverse childhood experiences, domestic abuse and parental conflict

Providing support to families including children and young people who have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences, domestic abuse and parental conflict and to work effectively with victims, perpetrators and those affected by domestic abuse.

Building safe families and communities

Children and young people to grow in safe families and communities, free from exposure to domestic abuse and parental conflict, enabling them to become resilient and make more informed and positive life choices.

Impact of emotional wellbeing on increasing educational attainment

Improve educational aspirations and outcomes for children and young people, with a particular focus on:

• improving mental health and emotional wellbeing during transition periods
• developing core life skills
• building resilience through readiness for learning
• reducing school exclusions
• increased parental engagement (with an improved focus on BAME communities)

Reducing exploitation and risk-taking behaviour

Support children and young people to become empowered and resilient through improved awareness around issues such as county lines, substance misuse, child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation and risk-taking behaviours.

Improved financial stability for families

Families are supported to deal with financial pressures, debt and cost-of-living crisis so they are better able to meet the basic needs of their children and young people.